The rate of violent crimes that occurred at public schools during the 2004-05 school year fell from a year earlier, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics.

In 2003-04, the reported incidence of rape, other sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault was six victimizations per 1,000 students. In 2004-05, that figure fell to four victimizations per 1,000 students. However, reports of gangs at schools were up 3 percent from one year to the next. Reports of students’ fighting at school, carrying a weapon, and drinking alcohol stayed about the same over that time period.